Do we have any home brewers here?

I too have been brewing off and on for several years now. A lot less in the last 18months than I'd like. I use a all grain via a BIAB (Brew In A Bag) method, from a top cut off a 50L keg, with a gas powered burner underneath, and 30plate wort chiller. I then have a small urn for any additional hot water requirements in larger ABV brews. Has worked a treat and didn't cost that much to setup. The kegging setup costs far more, and whilst isn't necessary makes life much easier.

I started with cans, then moved onto the partial extract setup you speak of with mixing some specialty grains and some hop additions in a stockpot on the stove, then mashed some more grain in an esky. Then realised how easy that was and the step up to all grain BIAB was easy. I use software called BrewMate, along with a BIAB spreadsheet calculator to help design the recipes and calculate the different ratiios for converting the traditional 3 vessel to BIAB. Sounds technical but when you get the hang of it, its easy as.

As you mention AHB has some good information, and might have changed in the last year since I've been on it, but the good info was far and few between and there was a lot of sh*t and misinformation.

I've also good an awesome brewing mini textbook, If you want I can scan it and send to you. Its got some good information especially in regards to the maths behind brewing.
 
bald as said:
I have brewed for many years all grain full mash. 3 vessel all gas. If you want @Nick the Knife I can give you a detailed spreadsheet I've written for recipe construction. It is Libre Office format not Excel. I have a full keg system and "farm" my own yeast strains from many sources. Looking at the Adelaide forecast Friday or Saturday at 24c could be a brew day in the making.
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@bald as , haha my goodness you certainly are a renaissance man now then aren't you? Skillsets upon skillsets like an onion has layers! I have to say you've impressed me no end and I really wish you lived much more up this way but c'est la vie.

I don't think I'll be going down the AG path anytime soon but if only for knowledge & curiousity I'd greatly welcome your spreadsheet etc (I use OpenOffice myself so format not an issue) - feel free to send me a link or if you have my email (not sure if you do).

I was only reading up about yeast harvesting etc yesterday so interested in your prowess in this area as well.

Do you have a ferment fridge or similar to keep your primary fermenter at the ideal temps?

Anyway VERY impressed and really appreciate your kind offers....as always! :)

@Steve_M , wow another one eh! Haha pop a post into an old, dormant thread and look at all you fellas coming out of the woodwork. :)

If I was a bigger consumer of beer I think I'd go straight to BIAB or some derivative of AG brewing methodology. It does seem to me to be minimal extra effort but with what I'd expect to be a significant improvement in the end product - so kinda logical using my internal rationales.

But I figure I can always come back to this IF I need to as non of the extract/K&K brewing gear is specific just to it so it's kind of a gentle toe dip in the waters of homebrewing atleast initially anyway.

Much thanks for your kind offer of scanning that textbook but I've actually got my hands full with several other HB publications at present and I'd not want you to go to such effort unless I KNEW I would definitely be using it completely - but if I need it later and the offer is still there I will come back to you - but much thanks for the kind offer. :)

SOunds like you've got a really well thought out and integrated setup thats versatile across multiple approaches. Very impressive and would love to see pix of this an anyone elses gear. :)
 
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@Steve_M , oh man after the load of BS I've had to just wade through in another thread those pix were such a welcome relief. Wow nice gear....very, very impressive. I've no doubt you'd be turning out some exceptionally impressive offerings that would be right up there with top shelf commercial stuff.
 
kjparker said:
Lol,brewing (and sampling previous efforts while doing so) is half the fun.

And no, I don't mean opening the can!
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no drinking for me until the end of the boil. drinking earlier for me means a mashtun full of grain that stinks in the morning missed hop/finning additions and forgetting to set the timer for the boil. its not always this bad but the thirstier i get the more things i stuff up lol.
 
oh bugger just realised i dragged up a long dead thread. that being said is there any other current brewers on this forum?
 
beerhog said:
oh bugger just realised i dragged up a long dead thread. that being said is there any other current brewers on this forum?
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LOL - happens all the time, generally in a good way :)
 
@beerhog - yep, I'm a current all-grain BIABer. 3 fridges, 2 for fermentation/conditioning, the 3rd for kegs. Also make mead, braggot and fruit wines on occasion. Have a few rows of Shiraz for my own winemaking too (also have a number of beehives to supply my meadmaking activities)

I don't have a drinking problem, and can stop at any time ;-)
 
that sounds good. i run the idea of a hive in the backyard for mead past the missus and it just wasnt going to happen. do you do any sour beers at all? only asking cause im currently aging a lambic that i eventually plan to fruit with some Shiraz grapes using cantillon st lamvinus as inspiration. im running a 3v hermes setup atm and 2 chest freezers one as a six keg keezer and the other as a fermentation chamber i can fit 2 batches in at once. i only drink wine once in a blue moon so havent tried making it yet but have made my own bourbon. all i can say about that is ag corn mashes are anything but fun.
 
SchoolForAnts said:
@beerhog - yep, I'm a current all-grain BIABer. 3 fridges, 2 for fermentation/conditioning, the 3rd for kegs. Also make mead, braggot and fruit wines on occasion. Have a few rows of Shiraz for my own winemaking too (also have a number of beehives to supply my meadmaking activities)

I don't have a drinking problem, and can stop at any time ;-)
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Wtf is braggot?
Also, I presume biab is brew in a bag? Had a work colleague who was in to that and he made some very drinkable brews. I'd like to get onto it at some stage but don't know when is fit it in. And unlike the rumours going around, while I like a beer, I just don't drink enough to warrant the buy-in expense.
 
I've spent the last few days building a brewpiless temperature controller using D1 mini pro clone and an OLED display. https://github.com/vitotai/BrewPiLess

I've even designed a PCB to mount it all on, here. Ihave it cobbled together and working trying to decide if I bother with the PCB, although it will make it neat.

This setup will replace my raspberry pi fermentation temperature controller.
 
State homebrew comp was yesterday. I picked up a couple of trinkets with my only entry.

First place in Bitter Ale, second year in a row and Best in Show!

139.5 points makes it a Gold 🏅.
AsZ2Ikh.jpg
an1K1Wz.jpg
 
glenos said:
State homebrew comp was yesterday. I picked up a couple of trinkets with my only entry.
First place in Bitter Ale, second year in a row and Best in Show!
139.5 points makes it a Gold 🏅.
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Quite an achievement mate, Congratulations!
 
glenos said:
State homebrew comp was yesterday. I picked up a couple of trinkets with my only entry.

First place in Bitter Ale, second year in a row and Best in Show!

139.5 points makes it a Gold 🏅.
AsZ2Ikh.jpg
an1K1Wz.jpg
Click to expand...
Good work, congratulations! We all say we don't care about prizes, but I'd be the first to admit the recognition is gratifying... (y)
 
glenos said:
State homebrew comp was yesterday. I picked up a couple of trinkets with my only entry.

First place in Bitter Ale, second year in a row and Best in Show!

139.5 points makes it a Gold 🏅.
AsZ2Ikh.jpg
an1K1Wz.jpg
Click to expand...

Very impressive mate, the obvious next question - where is ours!
 
glenos said:
State homebrew comp was yesterday. I picked up a couple of trinkets with my only entry.

First place in Bitter Ale, second year in a row and Best in Show!

139.5 points makes it a Gold 🏅.
AsZ2Ikh.jpg
an1K1Wz.jpg
Click to expand...

Anyone else suddenly thirsty? :D

Congrats on the recognition. It's nice to see we can still enjoy such things during these hard times.
 
Chad said:
Good results. Share your recipe?
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You'll have to wait until it's closer to the AABC in October. I plan to enter it or a re-brew of the recipe.

The crazy thing about the win is it's the only batch I've brewed in nearly 6 months, I brew for myself (I had the comp in mind for this one). So to get best in show is surprising.

I just got home from www.welcomeswallow.com.au, probably hard to get unless you are in Tas. The chocolate porter is amazing and the whisky barrel aged version is out if this world.
 
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